Twitter for Special Education Teachers

by Howard Gerber on April 18, 2011

Twitter is a powerful tool for teachers – especially for special education teachers. In a school, there may be hundreds of classroom teachers, but only half a dozen special education teachers. This often makes it difficult to create a local support network of other professionals who are facing the same sorts of challenges each day in the classroom.

Some disabilities are so rare that you may only see one or two cases every few years. In these instances, it is especially useful to find specialized groups with expertise in these specific areas to turn to for advice in rendering assistance. Twitter can be especially helpful in finding groups or organizations that are able to offer specific, and often almost instant, assistance.

Twitter is also an excellent source for making acquaintances that you can turn to when you are having difficulty with students, parents, faculty, or administration. However, as with interpersonal relationships conducted outside of a digital medium, it is hard to tell someone whom they will “like” on an individual basis. Instead, it is easier, as a blogger, to tell you what you might find most useful. With that in mind, the following suggestions are advocates, groups, or tools you may find useful as you navigate the trials and tribulations associated with your chosen profession.

@AFB1921 – This is the official Twitter account for the American Foundation for the Blind. They tweet regularly about issues affecting blind and visually impaired adults and children.

@Apraxia_KIDS – This account is updated several times a day and provides information for children with apraxia of speech.

@AutismClassroom – This account is updated numerous times throughout the day and interacts regularly with followers. The parent site provides free training and teaching materials for parents and educators.

@Bookshare – This account is updated several times a week and interacts with followers. The parent company makes printed materials accessible for people with a variety of disabilities.

@DisabledWorld – This account provides links to news items related to disabilities and is updated numerous times each day.

@LDOnline – The parent website behind this account offers comprehensive information on learning disabilities and ADHD for parents and teachers. They tweet several times a month with relevant links.

@NADtweets – This is the official Twitter account of the National Association of the Deaf. They update regularly and provide information about civil rights for deaf and hearing impaired individuals.

@PCIEducation – The parent company for this Twitter account is a company that creates resources for special education students and teachers. Their Twitter feed is updated frequently and they provide a variety of disability related resources in their tweets.

This is obviously not an exhaustive list of all available Twitter accounts that tweet about disabilities. It is, however, an excellent place to start. If you are looking for information on a specific disability, visit the website of the most prominent organization in the field and look for their Twitter account. While not all organizations are on Twitter, many are. Once you find some that are valuable for your situation browse the people they follow to find more groups or people working in the same field.